Surface cattle-guard



PatentedApr.2 8,1891.

L. J. STRAIT. SURFACE CATTLE GUARD.

(No Model.)

O t m H: @MQU m itn as as:

'NITED STATES PATENT OF ICE.

LAOELLE J. STRAIT, OF KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN.

SURFACE CATTLE-GUARD.

SPECIFICATION forming partof Letters Patent No. 451,141, dated April 28, 1891. Application filed August 21, 1890. serial No- 362,659. (1110 model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LAOELLE J. STRAIT, a citizen of the United-States, residing at Kalamazoo, county of Kalamazoo, State of Michigan, have invented a new and useful Surface Cattle-Guard, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to that class of sectional surface cattle-guards the sections of which consist of transverse supporting-bars mounted upon the ties and separated longi tudinal bars parallel with themails of the track.

One of the features of the invention consists in making the transverse bars from a series of peculiarly-formed cast sections, alternating with the longitudinal bars.

Another feature consists in providing the transverse bars with open seats, in which the ends of the longitudinal bars are placed, said seats and longitudinal bars being so formed in relation to each other that said longitudinal bars are detachable by raising them upward, whereby greater convenience in shipping, handling, and placing the guards is secured, and the bars will be readily lifted out of their seats by the effort of an animal to free itself in case its feet should get caught between the bars.

In the drawings forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a broken plan view showing a plan of one of the sections. Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation on line 8 8 in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a broken perspective of enlarged lettered details. Fig. 4 shows a perspective of a lettered part, taken from Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is an enlarged perspective of a lettered detail from 1; and Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a modification below described, being in section on line 8 8 in Fig. 1, but the transverse bars being solid or all in one piece.

Referring to the lettered parts of the draw ings, C O are the ties of the track, (shown broken in Fig. 1,) and E illustrates one of the rails of the track. By the side of this rail is shown one of the sections of the guard, as many of said sections of course being employed outside and between the rails of the track as desired. The transverse bars A at each end of the section-consist of a series of castings 'i 11, Figs. 1 and 3, having open mor- .tises a: in a like end of each, so that when these castings are fitted against each other,

thatis to say, when the sections it are bolted together, as inFig. 3, the seats in the bars appear like the seat w in Fig. 6, but Fig. 6 is designed to show that the transverse bars A may be made all solid, and not in sections, as in Fig. 3, Fig. 6 of course showing only one end of a solid bar, or a bar made allin one piece. These open seats are provided with a shoulder to, against which the ends of the longitudinal bars come in contact to prevent endwise displacement, and they are provided with a shoulder 2, upon which said bars rest, so as to prevent their dropping below thedesired pointthat is, so that their upper edge will be on a level with the apex of the transvers bars A; also, by means of the shoulder to the end of any longitudinal bar is pre vented from-catching under the transverse bar in case the other end of said bar should be raised, for the reason that said bars S can not move endwise. The castings i are preferably half-round and hollow on the under side, where they are provided with a thickened portion or lug v,.t.hrough which is made a bolt-hole 2. These castings are all strung upon a rod t, and are bound firmly together by a nut, as in Figs. 1 and 3.

The castings at the ends of the transverse bars are preferably made as at n in Figs. 1, 3, and 4, and are provided with lateral lugs r 1", by means of which they are fastened to the ties O by the ordinary railroad-spikes, as

here shown.

The design is that the open seats in the transverse bars shall be a little larger than the ends of the longitudinal bars, so that when the transverse bars are fixed in place the longitudinal bars can be readily dropped into their seats, and, as before stated, will be readily detachable in case an animal should get its feet caught between the bars, and also in case of repairs which necessitate'taking up a portion of the guard. The central trans verse bar B is made just like the other bars described, except that the open seats 00 pass entirely and transversely through it, and have the shoulders 2 2, as in Fig. 5, to prevent the sagging of the bars S in the center.

Fig. 2 will serve to illustrate the relation of all the transverse bars to the longitudinal bars and the position the former occupy in the recesses of the latter.

A guard thus made is more convenient to handle and requires less strength, as contrasted With a guard-section made as a complete Whole ready to place on the track.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is v I 1. A surface cattle-guard consisting of the transverse bars composed of a series of eastings bolted together end for end and provided with the open seats, and longitudinal bars 

